Five Metro workers placed on leave

Five Metrorail employees were removed from service on Monday pending the outcome of an investigation after a 10-car train was mistakenly put into service on the Green Line on Monday morning.

No customers were able to board the last two cars of the 10-car train because a Metrorail platform is the length of eight cars.

"The train departed the Branch Avenue Metrorail station at 5:14 a.m. The riders were asked to exit the train at the Waterfront-SEU Metrorail station at 5:37 a.m., where it was returned to the rail yard," said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein.

She said five employees were removed from service as part of the investigation, which includes drug and alcohol tests: the train operator, the interlocking operator, the terminal supervisor and two yard operators.

"The operator who delivered the train to the station tested positive for drugs and was placed on leave while in a drug rehabilitation program."

Operating a subway train with hundreds of passengers is a job involving public safety. Any operator who tests positive for drugs should be summarily FIRED, not rehabbed while on leave. What a farce Metro is.

Metro trains need to have placards in each car identifying the operator, and a number one can call to voice a complaints. If a driver gets an abnormal amount of complaints, they should be demoted. If the trend continues, they should be fired. More often than not, the operator chastises passengers, closes door on EXITING passengers. There needs to be accountability at metro, and there is none.

No matter how much you screw-up working for Metro, they will always give you more chances to top your last screw-up!! Three cheers for Metro's Union. You can ask for a better working man's union than that !